Patent application title: DIGITAL MIXED TAPES

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Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory
computer-readable storage media for gifting a personalized album. A
system is described that includes generating a personalized album from a
request and subsequently gifting the personalized album to another party.
The personalized album can include playback attributes stored in a file
associated with the album or alternatively in metadata of the media items
to be gifted. The playback attributes can limit playback of the album to
a particular playback sequence or configure playback to reveal the names
of media items as they are presented to the user. The personalized album
can be accepted, rejected, or re-gifted by the recipient.

Claims:

1. A method, comprising: receiving, from a donor, a request to generate a
personalized album to gift to a recipient, the request specifying a
plurality of media items from at least one source to include in the
personalized album, wherein each media item has associated metadata;
generating, in response to the request, a personalization file including
a playback attribute and instructions for editing the metadata associated
with each media item to associate each media item with the personalized
album; transmitting, to the recipient, the personalization file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback attribute is configured to
reveal a name of each media item in the personalized album upon
completion of a first playback of the media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback attribute is configured to
reveal a name of each media item in the personalized album upon
completion of a first playback of the personalized album in its entirety.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further specifies a
playback sequence for the plurality of media items in the personalized
album.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the playback attribute is configured to
enforce playback of the personalized album to the playback sequence.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the playback attribute is configured to
prohibit fast forwarding or rewinding during playback of the personalized
album.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions include setting an
album creator field associated with each media item to a name of the
donor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are applied to the
plurality of media items transmitted to the recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging the donor an album
fee based at least in part on the plurality of media items in the
personalized album.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the album fee comprises a fee
associated with each of the plurality of media items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a discount is applied to the fee
associated with each of the plurality of media items when the number of
media items in the personalized album exceeds a predefined threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the album fee includes a
personalization fee.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes additional
content, and the playback attribute is configured to present the
additional content to the recipient during playback of a media item from
the personalized album.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the additional content is a slide
show of images.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a database for
content associated with the recipient, wherein the content is included
with the personalization file for presentation to the recipient during
playback of the personalized album.

16. A system, comprising: a server configured to receive a request to
generate a personalized album to gift to a recipient, the request
specifying a plurality of media items to include in the personalized
album and a playback sequence, wherein each media item has associated
metadata, and to generate a copy of the plurality of media items to
transmit to the recipient, wherein the metadata associated with the copy
of the plurality of media items is edited to associate the plurality of
media items to the personalized album and to set the playback sequence.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the playback attribute is configured
to reveal a name of each media item in the personalized album upon
completion of a first playback of the media item.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the playback attribute is configured
reveal a name of each media item in the personalized album upon
completion of a first playback of the personalized album in its entirety.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the playback attribute is configured
to prohibit fast forwarding or rewinding during playback of the
personalized album.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a client device configured
to transmit the request to the server.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is resident in a cloud
computing system.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to
transmit a notification to notify the recipient of the personalized
album, wherein the notification provides options to accept, reject, or
re-gift the personalized album.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program
code causing a device to perform a method comprising: receiving, from a
giftor, a request to generate a personalized album to gift to a giftee,
the request specifying a plurality of media items from a plurality of
sources to include in the personalized album, wherein each media item has
associated metadata; generating, in response to the request, a
personalization file including a playback attribute and instructions for
editing the metadata associated with each media item to associate each
media item with the personalized album; transmitting, to the giftee, the
plurality of media items and the personalization file.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to sharing digital media
content and, more specifically, to techniques and systems for
personalizing and gifting an album of digital songs to another.

[0003] 2. Introduction

[0004] In recent years, electronic devices capable of playing digital
music have become commonplace. For instance, electronic devices such as
laptop computers, handheld digital media players, smart phones, and
handheld gaming systems are used daily by society to listen to music. As
a result of the growing popularity of these electronic devices, the sale
of digital music has grown dramatically. Consumers can visit an online
store to purchase digital music as a single track or a complete album.

[0005] However, the digital age has lost some of the personalization that
was available during the analog age. For example, the creation and
gifting of a cassette mixed tape was a popular activity between two
parties. The compilation of songs would be recorded on a cassette tape
and given to another on a special occasion such as a birthday or on
Valentine's Day. Cassette tapes had their drawbacks however. For
instance, the artists were never appropriately compensated for the music
that was recorded on the cassette mixed tape.

[0006] While there have been many advancements in the use and distribution
of digital music, there is still a need for improved techniques for
personalizing gifts of digital music.

SUMMARY

[0007] Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set
forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from
the description, or can be learned by practice of the herein disclosed
principles. The features and advantages of the disclosure can be realized
and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations, particularly,
pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the
disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description
and appended claims, or can be learned by the practice of the principles
set forth herein.

[0008] Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory
computer-readable storage media for gifting and personalizing digital
media. The digital media can include audio songs, videos, movies, images,
photos, and other digital media content. A user can submit a request for
a personalized album such as a digital mixed tape by selecting a
plurality of media items. The request can also include options to
personalize the album, such as setting the playback sequence or revealing
the name of the media items one at a time as they are presented to the
user. The request can be received and processed by an online store, which
in turn generates and transmits data to a recipient's device to create
the personalized album on the recipient's device. Once the recipient has
accepted the gift, the sending party can be charged a fee for gifting the
personalized album. The recipient can be specified using a name, account
ID, email address, social network ID, or other identification.

[0009] In some examples, the recipient can choose to accept, reject, or
re-gift the gift. For example, the online store can notify the recipient
of the gift and request a response from the recipient as to whether the
recipient would like to accept or reject the gift. Depending on the
recipient's response, the gift can be added to the recipient's media
library, cancelled and credited back to the user, or added to a third
party's media library. News of the recipient's choice can be broadcasted
to multiple services or devices associated with the recipient. If the
recipient rejects the gift, the online store can credit back or not
charge the giftor a fee associated with gifting the personalized album.
Alternatively if the recipient accepts the gift, the online store can
charge the giftor a fee associated with gifting the personalized album
and update the media library associated with the recipient's account. In
another example, the recipient can also be presented with another option
to re-gift the personalized album to a third party.

[0010] Generating the personalized album can require editing the metadata
in the media items. In some examples, the editing can occur on the online
store. For example, the online store can edit the album title, creator
field, album art, playback sequence number, etc. of a media item to
generate the personalized album. In other examples, instructions can be
provided to the recipient, thus allowing the editing to occur on the
recipient's device. This can prevent master copies of the media items
from being edited on the online store or storing multiple copies of a
media item on the online store, thus minimizing complexity and storage
space on the online store. Instructions for editing media items to
generate the personalized album can be stored and transmitted to the
recipient in a personalization file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and
other advantages and features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more
particular description of the principles briefly described above will be
rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are
illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings
depict only exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and are not therefore
to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the principles herein are
described and explained with additional specificity and detail through
the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0021] FIGS. 10a-10d illustrate an exemplary personalized album having a
playback attribute;

[0022] FIGS. 11a-11d illustrate an exemplary personalized album having two
playback attributes;

[0023] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary notification;

[0024] FIG. 13 illustrates another exemplary notification; and

[0025] FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary process for providing a
personalized album to a recipient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Various embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detail
below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be
understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person
skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and
configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of
the disclosure.

[0027] The present disclosure addresses the need in the art for systems,
techniques, and methods for personalizing gifts of digital media items.
The digital media can include electronic books (eBooks), digital songs,
movies, videos, images, photos, and other digital media content. While
the disclosure focuses on personalizing gifts of digital songs and
packaging the gift as a personalized album, it is to be understood by a
person of ordinary skill in the relevant art that these teachings can
also be applied to gifting of other digital media items such as movies,
photos, images, video clips, etc. As songs (or other digital media) are
presented on an electronic device running a media player application,
several songs can be selected by the user to be part of a personalized
album. Other content or personalization settings can also be set by the
user to personalize the album. For instance, additional content can be
associated to a song in the personalized album so that the additional
content can be presented before, during, or after playback of the song.
In one example, the additional content can be a photo slideshow that is
presented to the user during playback of the song or album. The
additional content can be selected by the creator of the album or
alternatively, be automatically selected by an online store or cloud
service with access to content associated with the recipient of the
album. Personalization settings such as playback attributes can also be
set by the user to restrict the playback sequence to a specific order or
to prevent skipping, fast forwarding, or rewinding of songs during
playback. The selected songs, additional content, and personalization
settings can be transmitted to a server or online store, which in turn
transmits the album to the recipient's device. In some examples, the
personalization settings and/or additional content can be stored as
metadata on the selected songs. Digital audio songs contain metadata
consisting of information such as artist name, album title, sequential
order, the year the song was released, etc. This metadata can be
augmented or changed by the giftor, for purposes such as generating a
personalized album. For example, fields can be included in the metadata
to enforce playback of a media item without fast forwarding or rewinding
or to prevent skipping of the song. In some examples, the personalized
album can be created on the server. The server can maintain a database
containing master copies of all songs along with a second copy of the
selected songs that have had their metadata modified, so that the songs
appear on a media player application as belonging to the personalized
album. Secondary copies of the songs do not need to be stored on the
server however. For instance in another process, the server can copy an
original media file into a temporary location, mutate the copy by editing
the metadata so that the copy appears to belong to the personalized
album, and then provide the copy for download. Once the copy has been
downloaded, the media file stored in the temporary location can be
erased. In other examples, the personalized album can be created by the
playback device of the recipient. The server can maintain a single copy
of all songs and instead transmit the songs along with a personalization
file. The personalization file can include the playback attributes and
instructions for editing the metadata associated with media items in the
personalized album. The application maintaining the media library of the
recipient can use the instructions to edit the metadata of the songs so
that they appear on the media player application as belonging to the same
album. This implementation saves disk space on the server by avoiding the
need to maintain a copy of the personalized songs and albums (i.e., copy
resides only on the recipient's music library). The personalization files
can be created shortly before download and temporarily stored. Thus, the
personalization files do not need to be stored on the server.

[0028] A detailed discussion of the methods and systems surrounding the
concept of personalizing a music album for gifting is provided below.
First, a brief introductory description of a basic general purpose system
or computing device which can be employed to practice the concepts is
illustrated in FIG. 1. This is followed by an introductory description of
a cloud computing system in FIG. 2. A detailed description of gifting
techniques for music albums will follow. Several variations shall be
discussed herein as the various embodiments are set forth. The disclosure
now turns to FIG. 1.

General System

[0029] With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system 100 includes a
general-purpose computing device 100, including a processing unit (CPU or
processor) 120 and a system bus 110 that couples various system
components including the system memory 130 such as read only memory (ROM)
140 and random access memory (RAM) 150 to the processor 120. The system
100 can include a cache 122 of high speed memory connected directly with,
in close proximity to, or integrated as part of the processor 120. The
system 100 copies data from the memory 130 and/or the storage device 160
to the cache 122 for quick access by the processor 120. In this way, the
cache provides a performance boost that avoids processor 120 delays while
waiting for data. These and other modules can control or be configured to
control the processor 120 to perform various actions. Other system memory
130 may be available for use as well. The memory 130 can include multiple
different types of memory with different performance characteristics. It
can be appreciated that the disclosure may operate on a computing device
100 with more than one processor 120 or on a group or cluster of
computing devices networked together to provide greater processing
capability. The processor 120 can include any general purpose processor
and a hardware module or software module, such as module 1 162, module 2
164, and module 3 166 stored in storage device 160, configured to control
the processor 120 as well as a special-purpose processor where software
instructions are incorporated into the actual processor design. The
processor 120 may essentially be a completely self-contained computing
system, containing multiple cores or processors, a bus, memory
controller, cache, etc. A multi-core processor may be symmetric or
asymmetric.

[0030] The system bus 110 may be any of several types of bus structures
including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a
local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. A basic
input/output (BIOS) stored in ROM 140 or the like, may provide the basic
routine that helps to transfer information between elements within the
computing device 100, such as during start-up. The computing device 100
further includes storage devices 160 such as a hard disk drive, a
magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a solid state drive, a tape
drive or the like. The storage device 160 can include software modules
162, 164, 166 for controlling the processor 120. Other hardware or
software modules are contemplated. The storage device 160 is connected to
the system bus 110 by a drive interface. The drives and the associated
computer readable storage media provide nonvolatile storage of computer
readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data
for the computing device 100. In one aspect, a hardware module that
performs a particular function includes the software component stored in
a non-transitory computer-readable medium in connection with the
necessary hardware components, such as the processor 120, bus 110,
display 170, and so forth, to carry out the function. The basic
components are known to those of skill in the art and appropriate
variations are contemplated depending on the type of device, such as
whether the device 100 is a small, handheld computing device, a desktop
computer, or a computer server.

[0031] Although the exemplary embodiment described herein employs the hard
disk 160, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other
types of computer readable media which can store data that are accessible
by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital
versatile disks, cartridges, random access memories (RAMs) 150, read only
memory (ROM) 140, a cable or wireless signal containing a bit stream and
the like, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment.
Non-transitory computer-readable storage media expressly exclude media
such as energy, carrier signals, electromagnetic waves, and signals per
se.

[0032] To enable user interaction with the computing device 100, an input
device 190 represents any number of input mechanisms, such as a
microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphical
input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech and so forth. An output
device 170 can also be one or more of a number of output mechanisms known
to those of skill in the art. In some instances, multimodal systems
enable a user to provide multiple types of input to communicate with the
computing device 100. The communications interface 180 generally governs
and manages the user input and system output. There is no restriction on
operating on any particular hardware arrangement and therefore the basic
features here may easily be substituted for improved hardware or firmware
arrangements as they are developed.

[0033] For clarity of explanation, the illustrative system embodiment is
presented as including individual functional blocks, including functional
blocks labeled as a "processor" or processor 120. The functions these
blocks represent may be provided through the use of either shared or
dedicated hardware, including, but not limited to, hardware capable of
executing software and hardware, such as a processor 120, that is
purpose-built to operate as an equivalent to software executing on a
general purpose processor. For example, the functions of one or more
processors, presented in FIG. 1, may be provided by a single shared
processor or multiple processors. (Use of the term "processor" should not
be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing
software.) Illustrative embodiments may include microprocessor and/or
digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read-only memory (ROM) 140 for
storing software performing the operations discussed below, and random
access memory (RAM) 150 for storing results. Very large scale integration
(VLSI) hardware embodiments, as well as custom VLSI circuitry in
combination with a general purpose DSP circuit, may also be provided.

[0034] The logical operations of the various embodiments are implemented
as: (1) a sequence of computer implemented steps, operations, or
procedures running on a programmable circuit within a general use
computer, (2) a sequence of computer implemented steps, operations, or
procedures running on a specific-use programmable circuit; and/or (3)
interconnected machine modules or program engines within the programmable
circuits. The system 100, shown in FIG. 1, can practice all or part of
the recited methods, can be a part of the recited systems, and/or can
operate according to instructions in the recited non-transitory
computer-readable storage media. Such logical operations can be
implemented as modules configured to control the processor 120 to perform
particular functions according to the programming of the module. For
example, FIG. 1 illustrates three modules Mod1 162, Mod2 164 and Mod3 166
which are modules configured to control the processor 120. These modules
may be stored on the storage device 160 and loaded into RAM 150 or memory
130 at runtime or may be stored, as would be known in the art, in other
computer-readable memory locations. Having disclosed some components of a
computing system, the disclosure now turns to a description of cloud
computing.

Cloud Computing System

[0035] Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing in which a
variety of resources are hosted and/or controlled by an entity and made
available by the entity to authorized users via the Internet. An
exemplary cloud computing system configuration 200 is illustrated in FIG.
2 wherein a variety of electronic devices can communicate via a network
for purposes of exchanging content and other data. The system can be
configured for use on a wide variety of network configurations that
facilitate the intercommunication of electronic devices. For example,
each of the components of system 200, in FIG. 2, can be implemented in a
localized or distributed fashion in a network.

[0037] Furthermore, in some cases, the cloud resources can be redundant.
For example, if cloud computing resources 220 is configured to provide
data backup services, multiple copies of the data can be stored such that
the data is still be available to the user even if a storage resource is
offline, busy, or otherwise unavailable to process a request. In another
example, if cloud computing resources 220 is configured to provide
software, the software can be available from different cloud servers so
that the software can be served from any of the different cloud servers.
Algorithms can be applied such that the closest server or from the server
with the lowest current load is selected to process a given request.

[0039] Cloud computing resources 220 can provide cloud resources through a
variety of deployment models, such as public, private, community, hybrid,
and/or any other cloud deployment model. In some cases, cloud computing
resources 220 can support multiple deployment models. For example, cloud
computing resources 220 can provide one set of resources through a public
deployment model and another set of resources through a private
deployment model.

[0040] In some configurations, a user terminal 202 can access cloud
computing resources 220 from any location where an Internet connection is
available. However, in other cases, cloud computing resources 220 can be
configured to restrict access to certain resources such that a resource
can only be accessed from certain locations. For example, if cloud
computing resources 220 is configured to provide a resource using a
private deployment model, then cloud computing resources 220 can restrict
access to the resource, such as by requiring that a user terminal 202
access the resource from behind a firewall.

[0041] Cloud computing resources 220 can provide cloud resources to user
terminals 202 through a variety of service models, such as Software as a
Service (SaaS), Platforms as a service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS), and/or any other cloud service models. In some cases,
cloud computing resources 220 can provide multiple service models to a
user terminal 202. For example, cloud computing resources 220 can provide
both SaaS and IaaS to a user terminal 202. In some cases, cloud computing
resources 220 can provide different service models to different user
terminals 202. For example, cloud computing resources 220 can provide
SaaS to user terminal 2021 and PaaS to user terminal 2022.

[0042] In some cases, cloud computing resources 220 can maintain an
account database. The account database can store profile information for
registered users. The profile information can include resource access
rights, such as software the user is permitted to use, maximum storage
space, etc. The profile information can also include usage information,
such as computing resources consumed, data storage location, security
settings, personal configuration settings, etc. In some cases, the
account database can reside on a database or server remote to cloud
computing resources 220 such as servers 204 or database 206.

[0043] Cloud computing resources 220 can provide a variety of
functionality that requires user interaction. Accordingly, a user
interface (UI) can be provided for communicating with cloud computing
resources 220 and/or performing tasks associated with the cloud
resources. The UI can be accessed via an end user terminal 202 in
communication with cloud computing resources 220. The UI can be
configured to operate in a variety of client modes, including a fat
client mode, a thin client mode, or a hybrid client mode, depending on
the storage and processing capabilities of cloud computing resources 220
and/or the user terminal 202. Therefore, a UI can be implemented as a
standalone application operating at the user terminal in some
embodiments. In other embodiments, a web browser-based portal can be used
to provide the UI. Any other configuration to access cloud computing
resources 220 can also be used in the various embodiments.

[0044] As described above, in some configurations, the cloud computing
resources can be used to store user data. The present disclosure
contemplates that, in some instances, this gathered data might include
personal and/or sensitive data. The present disclosure further
contemplates that the entities responsible for the collection, analysis,
disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use of such data should implement
and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are, generally
recognized, meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements
for maintaining personal information data private and secure. For
example, personal data from users should be collected for legitimate and
reasonable uses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those
legitimate uses. Further, such collection should occur only after the
informed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities should take
any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access to such personal
data and ensuring that others with access to the personal data adhere to
their privacy and security policies and procedures. Further, such
entities can subject themselves to evaluation by third parties to certify
their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices.

[0045] Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates
embodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,
personal data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware
and/or software elements can be provided to prevent or block access to
such personal data. For example, the present technology can be configured
to allow users to select the data that is stored in cloud storage. In
another example, the present technology can also be configured to allow a
user to specify the data stored in cloud storage that can be shared with
other users.

[0046] Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use of
personal data to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, the
present disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments can
also be implemented without the need for accessing such personal data.
That is, the various embodiments of the present technology are not
rendered inoperable due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal
data. For example, non-personal data can be stored in cloud storage.

Creating a Personalized Album

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system for gifting personalized
albums. Gifting system 300 includes giftor 310 (also known as donor or
sender), online store 320, and one or more recipients 330 (also known as
donee or giftee). The online store 320 can store a database of available
media items. The media items can include audio tracks, video tracks,
eBooks, images, photos, and other digital content. As new digital content
becomes available, the new media items can be hosted on online store 320.
Online store 320 can also maintain user accounts for users of the online
store. The user accounts can include a list of media items a particular
user has rights and thus the ability to access or download. In some
examples, the list of media items can be items that the user has
previously purchased or otherwise acquired the right to play. The user
accounts can also include payment information thus allowing a user to
purchase new content from the online store. In some examples, the online
store can be implemented using one or more of cloud computing resources
220 described in FIG. 2.

[0048] Giftor 310 can select a plurality of songs that are to be part of a
personalized album. The selected songs can be from the giftor's music
library or alternatively from songs available on online store 320. As
shown here, giftor 310 has selected Song A 301, Song B 302, and Song C
303. These song selections can be transmitted along with a personalized
album request to online store 320. The online store receives the data
from giftor 310 and in response, generates a personalized album including
audio files associated with the selected songs. The personalized album is
then transmitted to one or more recipients 330. In some examples, the
audio files in the personalized album can be personalized. In one
embodiment, the personalization can include modification of metadata
associated with the song. Generally, digital audio files contain metadata
that is used to specify information related to the song such as the album
that the song belongs to, the artist of the song, the genre, and other
attributes of the song. In a personalized copy of the audio file, the
metadata can be edited to specify that the song belongs to the
personalized album (by editing the album title field) or that giftor 310
created the album (by editing the creator or composer field). This allows
a listener to search a media library for a particular song by using the
metadata of the song. For instance, a listener can query a media library
based on a genre, album, artist, creator, composer, date of release, or
other attribute of the song.

[0049] In another embodiment, the personalization can include associating
other media content with the song. Other media content can be audio,
video, an image, or a slide show presentation that is presented before,
during, or after playback of the song. The additional content can be
selected by the creator of the album or alternatively, be automatically
selected by online store 320. The automatic selection can be performed by
querying data accessible to online store 320 for media that is associated
with the recipient(s). For example, a query can be performed for media
that is associated with a recipient's unique identifier. This can allow
the system to further personalize the album to create a unique experience
for a particular recipient.

[0050] In some examples, album metadata, personalized audio files, and
optionally additional content, can be packaged as a personalized album by
online store 320 and transmitted to recipient(s) 330. If additional
content is included in the personalized album that is unique to each
recipient, then each recipient receives a uniquely packaged album. In
other examples, album metadata, personalized audio files, additional
content, and instructions for generating the personalized album can be
transmitted to the recipient. The recipient can receive the information
on a recipient's device and generate a personalized album in the
recipient's media library. By moving the generation of the personalized
album to the recipient's device, this helps minimize storage requirements
on the online store 320 since a single copy of the audio file can be
maintained by online store 320. Instructions to edit the audio file can
be stored on online store 320, recipient(s) 330, or cloud storage
associated with recipient(s) 330.

[0051] As shown here, personalized album 350 has been generated for
recipient(s) 330. Personalized album 350 does not contain recipient
specific additional content and thus can be the same for multiple
recipients. Personalized album 350 includes File A 351 (which is
associated with Song A 301), File B 352 (which is associated with Song B
302), and File C 353 (which is associated with Song C 303). Each audio
file has modified metadata to specify, for example, that the song belongs
to personalized album 350 or that the album was generated by giftor 310.
Once the personalized album has been gifted to recipients 330, the
recipients can listen to personalized album 350.

[0052]FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process for gifting a personalized
album to a recipient. Process 400 includes three parties: device 410,
which is operated by a giftor server 420, which belongs to an online
store; and device 430, which is operated by a recipient. Device 410
specifies the media items and parameters for creating a personalized
album in a request to server 420. Server 420 processes the request and
cooperates with device 430 to create the personalized album. The
personalized album is stored in device 430. Here, a giftor operating
device 410 can select media items for a personalized album at 451. The
media items can be selected during media playback, from a library of
media items on device 410, or from a library of media items on an online
store. After selection of the media items, a personalized album request
can be transmitted to server 420 at 453. The personalized album request
can include attributes of the personalized album such as the album title
and the order of the set list (i.e., playback sequence). Once the server
receives the request, server 420 can generate and store a personalization
file at 455. The personalization file can include data and instructions
that are used to generate a personalized album. For example, the data can
be attributes, data, or metadata associated with the personalized album
including one or more of the following: the playback sequence, album
title, cover art for the personalized album, song title, song comment,
links to additional content that is to be presented during playback of a
media file of the personalized album, and other attributes, data,
metadata, or file-specific information associated with the media file.
The instructions can be configured to access the data to create the
personalized album.

[0053] Server 420 transmits a notification to device 430 that a gift album
is available for redemption at 457. An operator of device 430 can decide
to redeem the gift album, which in turn transmits a redemption signal
from device 430 to server 420 at 459. Upon receiving the redemption
signal, server 420 can optionally charge the giftor's user account a fee
associated with gifting the personalized album at 460. The fee can an
album fee that comprises of fees associated with the purchase of each of
the media items in the personalized album. For example, a first fee can
be associated with purchasing song A 301, of FIG. 3, from a server or
online store while a second fee (which can be the same fee or different
fee than the first fee) can be associated with purchasing song B 302, of
FIG. 3. In some examples, the album fee can also include a
personalization fee that is charged by server 420 to for the overhead of
generating a personalized album. In other examples, a discount can be
applied to the album fee if the number of media items selected for
inclusion in the personalized album exceeds a predefined threshold. For
instance, selection of 12 songs to include in the personalized album
results in a 10% discount to the fees associated with the purchase of the
songs. After charging the fee to the giftor's user account, server 420
can transmit the personalization file and media files to the device 430
at 461. In some examples, additional content can also be transmitted to
device 430. Using the data received, device 430 generates the
personalized album and personalizes the received media files by editing
the metadata of the media files at 463. For example, the album title,
album artwork, creator, song number, and other metadata can be edited by
device 430 in accordance to the instructions provided in the
personalization file. Subsequent downloads of the personalized album by
device 430 can include performing steps 461 and 463 after a download
request is received by server 420 from device 430. In some examples, the
subsequent downloads can provide a process for the recipient to download
the personalized album to other devices owned by the recipient. In other
examples, the steps of process 400 can be performed in a different order.

[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary process for gifting a
personalized album to a recipient. Process 500 is similar to process 400,
of FIG. 4, except that the personalized media files are stored on the
server. Thus, the server maintains multiple copies of a media file; a
master copy and one or more personalized copies, where each personalized
copy is associated with a personalized album. The copies of the media
file can be stored on server 520 or at a remote location accessible by
server 520. The personalized copies contain metadata that has been edited
to associate the personalized copy to a personalized album. A media
player application can organize and present a media library to a user by
using the metadata. The results from search requests on the media library
are also based on the metadata.

[0055] An operator of device 510 can select media items for a personalized
album at 551. The operator can also optionally set parameters or
attributes of the personalized album such as album title, a playback
sequence, or playback options. These selections, parameters, attributes,
and options can be transmitted from device 510 to server 520 as a
personalized album request at 553. Server 520 processes the request to
generate and store personalized media files at 555. The personalized
media files are copies of media files on server 520 that have been
personalized by editing the metadata of the media files. The server 520
notifies the recipient specified by the giftor that a personalized album
is available for redemption by transmitting a notification to device 530
that is operated by the recipient at 557. Device 530 receives the
notification and in response to the notification, transmits a response to
server 520 that the recipient operating device 530 desires to redeem the
personalized album at 559. Server 520 can optionally charge an account
associated with the giftor a fee for gifting the personalized album to
the recipient at 560. As described above, the fee can be based on the
media items in the personalized album, and options or attributes of the
personalized album. Server 520 can subsequently transmit the personalized
media files associated with the personalized album to device 520 at 561.
Upon receiving the personalized media files, device 530 can incorporate
the personalized media files into the recipient's media library. The
personalized media files may be grouped as belonging to the same album
because of similar values in some of their metadata. The personalized
media files can be stored on server 520 for subsequent downloads by the
recipient to device 530 or other devices operated by the recipient. In
other examples, process 500 can include one or more steps of process 400,
of FIG. 4, or the steps of process 500 can be performed in a different
order.

[0056]FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary process for gifting a
personalized album to a recipient. Process 600 generates and transmits
the personalized media files to a recipient device without saving the
personalized media files on server 620. In other words, the personalized
media files are not saved on server 620 (as described in process 400) and
are not generated by device 630 (as described in process 500).

[0057] A giftor operating device 610 selects the options for a
personalized album, including selecting the media items to include, the
playback sequence of the media items, recipient or recipients of the
personalized album, and attributes of the personalized album such as
album title, cover art, etc at 651. Device 610 packages the parameters
surrounding the personalized album into a personalized album request that
is transmitted to server 620 at step 653. In response to receiving the
personalized album request, server 620 can notify the recipient of the
album that a personalized album is available for redemption at 657. This
can include server 620 searching a database or look up table for a device
belonging to the recipient and then transmitting a notification to that
device. Here, server 620 transmits a notification that a personalized
album is available for redemption to device 630 associated with the
recipient. If the recipient is associated with multiple devices, server
620 can transmit the notification to one or more of those devices. For
instance, a notification can be transmitted to a mobile phone, laptop,
and handheld computing device that all belong to the recipient.

[0058] After transmitting the notification, server 620 can store the data
in the personalized album request on server 620 as it waits for a
response from a recipient device at 655. In one example, this can include
generating and storing a personalization file. The personalization file
contains all the options of the personalized album selected by the giftor
in a single file that can be efficiently processed by server 620. In
another example, server 620 can store the personalized album request in a
database of server 620. The fields of the database can be sorted and
searched, thus allowing server 620 to perform queries on the database,
such as looking up personalized albums according to the giftor or the
recipient. This can be useful during billing for the personalized album
or during redemption of the personalized album. Once the data in the
personalization album request has been stored, server 620 listens for a
redemption request from one of the devices that received the
notification.

[0059] Server 620 receives a response to the notification from device 630
at 659. In one example, the response is the recipient rejecting the gift.
In this scenario, server 620 can delete the stored data for this
personalized album request if all recipients of the gift have rejected
the gift. If other recipients have not responded to the gift notification
or alternatively have accepted the gift, server 620 does not delete the
stored data. Although the personalized album was not redeemed by the
recipient, the server can still optionally charge the giftor a fee for
creating a personalized gift even though the gift was never accepted. In
another example, the response is the recipient accepting the gift. In
this scenario, server 620 can charge the giftor's user account a fee
associated with purchasing the media items in the personalized album and
optionally a fee associated with creating a personalized album. As
discussed above, a discount may be applied to the fee or fees if the
personalized album contains a predetermined number of media items. In yet
another example, the response can be the recipient gifting the
personalized album to another party. In this scenario, server 620 can
update the database storing data in the album request to reflect the
change in the recipient party. If this action is undesirable by the
giftor (e.g., the giftor wishes to only offer this gift to the recipients
he selected), the giftor can set an option to not allow re-gifting when
the giftor selects the options for the personalized album. Depending upon
the response received from the recipient at 659, server 630 can
optionally charge the giftor for content that is accepted, rejected, or
re-gifted by the giftor at 660. The amount charged can be calculated
using techniques described in this specification.

[0060] If the personalized album has been redeemed, server 620 can
generate personalized media files in accordance to the stored data
associated with the personalized album request at 661. This can include
creating copies of the media files associated with the media items in the
personalized album and personalizing those copies by editing the metadata
in those copies so according to the stored data. This can include
changing the album art, album title, creator, and other attributes of the
media files. In some examples, the personalized media files can also
include additional content that is to be presented to the user before,
during, or after playback of the media file. After the personalized media
files have been generated, they are transmitted to device 630 by server
620 at 663. Device 630 can in turn incorporate the received media files
in its media library. Server 620 may delete the personalized media files
after transmission to device 630 to minimize storage overhead on server
620, thus maintaining a single media file for each media item available
on server 620. Alternatively, server 620 can store the personalized media
files until a response has been received for all outstanding gift
notifications. This may improve performance by minimizing processing that
potentially is required to generate the personalized media files for each
recipient. In other examples, the steps in process 400, 500, and 600, can
be interchanged and combined with one another to form other processes for
creating and transmitting a personalized album to one or more recipients.

[0061] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary user interface embodiment for
selecting a media item to include in the personalized album. In this
example, a listener is playing a song on an electronic device via a media
playback application. As shown on display 700, the electronic device is
presently playing back an audio file by Coldplay titled "Viva La Vida."
Display 700 can be a media player application running on a laptop
computer, desktop computer, portable media player, or smart phone. The
media player application includes functionality to create personalized
albums (i.e., digital mixed tapes) for one or more recipients. As shown
in display 700, a song is currently being played by the media player
application. Scrubber bar 710 illustrates that the song is currently at
the 2:03 mark. During playback of the song, the media player application
can receive a touch input or gesture in touch area 720. The touch input
or touch gesture, which originated from a user of a device running the
media player application, can be interpreted by the media player
application as a command to include the currently playing media item in a
playlist of a personalized album. For example, the touch input gesture
can be touching and holding touch area 720 on display 700 during playback
of media item to generate a pop-up menu and selecting an option in the
pop-up menu to include the media item in a personalized album playlist.
Alternatively, the media player application can receive a touch input at
menu 730 that results in the presentation of a pop-up menu with multiple
options, one of the options being configured to command the media player
application to include the currently playing media item in the playlist.
In other examples, other touch gestures can be received on display 700 to
command the media player application to include the currently playing
media item in the personalized album playlist. In yet other examples, the
songs for the personalized album playlist can be supplemented by a user
selecting one or more media items from a media library present on the
device or available on an online store.

[0062]FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary user interface embodiment for
creating a personalized album. As shown here, electronic device 800 can
present a fillable form, on display 840, which is configured for creating
a personalized album. Once the form has been completed by the giftor,
electronic device 800 can transmit the information in the fillable form
to a server or online store for processing. Electronic device 800
includes four input/output components: camera 810, speaker 820,
microphone 830 and display 840. In other examples, electronic device 800
can have more or fewer input/output components.

[0063] The fillable form can present one or more options for setting up
and personalizing the album. The fillable form includes field 841 for
specifying the recipient or recipients of the album. Field 841 can be
populated with an account ID associated with each intended recipient. In
a cloud computing system, the recipients and the giftor can have accounts
to an online store that is configured to distribute and sell digital
media items. Each account can reference an account ID that uniquely
identifies the account on the online store. The giftor can gift a
personalized album to one or more recipients by specifying the account
IDs of the recipients. Upon gifting the personalized album, the giftor
can be charged a fee associated with owning a copy of the digital media
items in the personalized album. If multiple recipients are gifted the
album, the giftor can be charged for each copy gifted. A discount to the
fee charged can be applied by the online store when a predefined number
of recipients or a predefined number of songs have been selected. In some
examples, a search feature is available to assist the giftor in locating
the account ID of the recipient.

[0064] The fillable form also includes field 842 for specifying the
digital media items that are to be included in the personalized album. A
digital media item can be selected for inclusion in the personalized
album during playback of the digital media item, as described in FIG. 7.
A digital media item can also be selected for inclusion from a list of
available media items in a media library of the giftor's account or an
online store.

[0065] The fillable form also includes optional album title field 843 for
specifying a title for the personalized album. If the giftor does not
specify an album title, a generic album title can be used. The generic
album title can be generated by electronic device 800 or the online
store. In one embodiment, the generic album title can be generated based
on external parameters surrounding the creation of the personalized
album. For example, a generic title "Mixed Tape from <giftor's
name> created on <date>" can be used. The giftor's name variable
is available from the account ID associated with electronic device 800
and the date variable is available from electronic device 800. In another
embodiment, the generic album title can be based on the selected digital
media items. For example, a generic album title template can be selected
from available templates according to the genre of the songs in the
personalized album. The most popular genre in the personalized album can
be used to select an album title template associated with the genre. For
instance, a rock music album title template such as "Rock Music Mixed
Tape" can be selected for a personalized album containing mostly rock
music. If there are multiple templates available for a given genre, one
of the templates can be chosen at random. In other embodiments, a generic
album title can be generated from using a mix of the techniques discussed
above. For example, a generic album title "Rock Music Mixed Tape created
on <date> for <giftor's name>" can be used for a personalized
album containing songs that are mostly rock.

[0066] The fillable form also includes optional field 844 for including a
personal message to the recipient. The personal message can used as part
of the notification generated by the server or online store that is sent
to the recipient. The personal message can also be used to personalize
the album. Depending upon the implementation details, the personal
message can be presented before playback of the album or a particular
track in the album. The personal message can be an audio, video, or
visual note created by the giftor. The giftor can create the personal
message by using camera 810, microphone 830 or touch screen display 840
and review the personal message via speaker 820 or display 840. In some
examples, camera 810 and microphone 830 can be used, together or
independently, to capture digital data. As another example, a user can
utilize camera 810 and microphone 830 to record a dedication video
speaking to camera 810, or take photos or video. The user can review the
photos or video using display 840 and speaker 820. In other embodiments,
camera 810 and microphone 830 can be used to create images or videos to
be presented during playback of the song, or for personalizing songs or
albums (e.g., changing album or song cover art).

[0067] The fillable form also includes optional field 845 for attaching
additional content to media items in the personalized album. The
additional content can be media or content that that is to be presented
during playback of a digital media item. In some examples, options for
presenting the additional content before, during, or after playback of
the digital media item can also be included in field 845. In one
embodiment, a server or online store can provide additional content or
supplement any existing additional content with content stored on the
server or online store. For example, the server can query its database
for content associated with a recipient's account ID and automatically
attach the queried content with the personalized album or digital media
items of the personalized album. In one example, photos containing both
the recipient and the giftor can be located on the server and added as
additional content to the personalized album. In another example, the
server may store special additional content that is only available during
gifting of the song. For instance, a gift of "End of the Road" by R.E.M.
can include special behind the scenes photos or video that cannot be
purchased elsewhere but is available through the gifting process. The
photos can be associated with the personalized album or a specific song
in the personalized album. During playback of the song, the photos can be
presented as a slide show. If the photos are associated with the
personalized album rather than individual songs, then all photos can be
presented as a continuous slide show regardless of the song in the
personalized album that is currently being played.

[0068] The fillable form can also include optional field 846 for setting
playback attributes. An exemplary playback attribute is enforcing
playback of the personalized album to the specified playback sequence.
Another exemplary playback attribute is prohibiting skipping of a media
item during playback of the personalized album. Another exemplary
playback attribute is to reveal the name of each media item after
completion of a first playback of the media item. Another exemplary
playback attribute is to review the name of all media items after
completion of a first playback of the entire personalized album. Yet
another exemplary playback attribute can be a delivery date for the
personalized album (the date that the personalized album will be
available to the recipient) or a different date that each media item in
the personalized playlist will become available to the recipient (e.g., a
personalized album for Christmas where a new song is available each day
up till Christmas). Other exemplary playback attributes can be the
playback sequence, how and when the additional content (if any) will be
presented during playback, the appearance of the personal message during
playback, or other options that can be used to customize the playback
experience of the personalized album.

[0069]FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary user interface embodiment for
presenting a personalized album. As shown here, electronic device 900
operated by the recipient can present a personalized album on display
940. Display 940 includes album art 942, album title 944, creator 946, a
playlist 948, and extras 949. These attributes can be set by the giftor
in a personalized album request. Fields not set by the giftor can
alternatively be set by an online store or online service providing the
personalized album. For example, generic album art can be selected from a
pool of available album art. The album art can be selected based on the
media items in the album, such as selecting an album art that is for a
particular genre. Similarly, the album title 944 and extras 949 can also
be automatically generated by the online store. A user can select a song
from playlist 948 and play back the selected song. A user can also select
album art 942 to enlarge the album art or select extras 949 to review the
additional content associated with a song. Song selection can be through
a touch interface on display 940. In some embodiments, a user interface
similar to FIG. 9 can also be configured for creating a personalized
album.

[0070] FIGS. 10a-10d illustrate an exemplary personalized album having a
playback attribute. As illustrated, playlist 1000 of a personalized album
includes three songs. A playback attribute has been set on playlist 1000
to reveal song attributes such as song name or song duration upon
completion of a first or initial playback of the song. FIG. 10a
illustrates playlist 1000 as it is initially presented to the user. The
playlist includes a plurality of songs where each song occupies a row in
the playlist. As shown, song attributes have been hidden, thus preventing
the listener from discovering the songs in the playlist, similar to an
analog mixed tape. FIG. 10b illustrates playlist 1000 after playback of
song 1010 has completed. As shown, the song name and the song duration of
song 1010 have now been revealed. In various examples, the song
attributes can be revealed in the beginning of the song playback, at a
predetermined time during the song playback, or after song playback has
completed. In one embodiment, song attributes that have been revealed
upon initial playback of the song can remain visible for the lifespan of
the song. In other words, the song attributes remain visible during the
recipient's ownership of the song. Thus, subsequent playback of the album
will reveal the attributes of the song. In another embodiment, the song
attributes initially remain hidden whenever the personalized album is
played. As songs are played back, the song attributes are revealed. If
the album is closed and reopened, the previously visible song attributes
are hidden once again until playback of the song. FIG. 10c illustrates
playlist 1000 after selection and playback of song 1020 has completed. As
shown, the song name and song duration for song 1020 has been revealed.
In one example, the song attributes can be revealed after half of the
song has been played back. In another example, the song attributes can be
revealed after the entire song has been played back. FIG. 10d illustrates
playlist 1000 after selection and playback of song 1030 has completed. At
this point, all songs have been played back and all the song attributes
have been revealed.

[0071] FIGS. 11a-11d illustrate an exemplary personalized album having two
playback attributes. As illustrated, playlist 1100 of a personalized
album includes three songs. Two playback attributes have been set on
playlist 1100. A first attribute reveals song attributes such as song
name or song duration upon completion of a first or initial playback of
the song. A second attribute enforces playback of the album to a
predefined playback sequence. Enforcing playback to a predefined playback
sequence restricts playback of the album to the order specified in the
predefined playback sequence. FIG. 11a illustrates playlist 1100 as it is
initially presented to the user. As shown, playlist 1100 is presented as
having one song and the attributes of song 1110 are concealed. Playlist
1100 also includes indicator 1190 (e.g., the dashed line) that is
configured to inform a user that playlist 1100 includes additional songs
besides song 1110. While a user is aware that playlist 1100 contains
additional songs, the user is unaware of exactly how many songs remain.
This is similar to an analog mixed tape. In one example, FIG. 11a is
presented when playback of song 1110 begins.

[0072] FIG. 11b illustrates playlist 1100 after playback of song 1110 has
completed or alternatively as playback of song 1120 begins. Due to the
second attribute, playback of the personalized album is limited to the
predefined playback sequence. Thus, one or more user inputs such as fast
forwarding, rewinding, and skipping forward or back tracks can be
prohibited. As shown, song attributes of song 1110 are visible after
playback of song 1110 has completed. However, the song attributes of song
1120 are concealed until the playback of that song has completed. FIG.
11c illustrates playlist 1100 after playback of song 1120 has completed
or alternatively after playback of song 1130 begins. As shown, song
attributes of song 1120 have been revealed. Playlist 1100 no longer
contains indicator 1190. This can queue a user that playlist 1100 does
not include additional songs and as such, the song currently being played
in the last song. FIG. 11d illustrates playlist 1100 after playback of
song 1130. As shown, song attribute 1130 is now visible after playback of
song 1130. In one example, the song attributes of all songs in playlist
1100 can be concealed until the completed playback of all songs in
playlist 1100.

Notifications

[0073] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary notification. Notification 1200 is
an exemplary email to notify the recipient of that a personalized album
is available for redemption. The notification can be transmitted from an
online store to an email account associated with the recipient's user
account. Alternatively, the notification can also be transmitted from a
mail server associated with the giftor's email account to the recipient's
email account. Although only electronic notifications are discussed here,
it is to be understood by one skilled in the art that printed
notifications, such as a card or a photo, can also be generated and sent
to the recipient though traditional communication channels. As shown,
notification 1200 includes a sender field 1210. Sender field 1210
displays the name of the party that sent the email. In some examples,
sender field 1210 can be automatically populated with the name associated
with the giftor's user account. Here, sender field 1210 is automatically
populated with the name "Melissa." Notification 1200 can also include
subject field 1220. Subject field 1220 provides the recipient a
description of the subject matter in this email. In some examples,
subject line 1220 can be automatically populated with a generic statement
such as "You've received a gift!", "You've received a mixed tape!", or
"You've received a gift from <giftor's name>!" In other examples,
the subject can be manually provided by the giftor. Notification 1200 can
also include date stamp 1230. Date stamp 1230 provides information about
the time and/or date that the email was sent from the giftor. In some
examples where the giftor requests a scheduled delivery, the email can be
sent at a date and time specified by the giftor.

[0074] Notification 1200 can further include message body 1240. Message
body 1240 can be automatically generated, manually generated, or manually
generated with portions of the message that are automatically generated.
Message body 1240 can include recipient's name 1241, automatically
generated text 1242 configured to notify the recipient that a
personalized album has been created, a user specified personal message
1243 from the giftor to the recipient, and the name of the giftor 1246.
In some examples, the personalized album is automatically associated with
the recipient's user account when notification 1200 is sent. Thus, no
action is required by the recipient to accept the personalized album. In
other examples, the personalized album is associated with the recipient's
user account when a redemption message is received at the online store
from the recipient. This can open up the possibility of re-gifting or
denying a gifted digital media item. In these examples, a redemption link
or code 1245 can be included in message body 1240 along with text 1244
describing the link. The redemption link or code 1245 can also include
links to accept or deny the gifted digital media item. Based on the
response received from the recipient, the online store can associate the
gifted digital media item to the recipient's user account, cancel the
gift (and potentially not charge the giftor the album fee associated with
the personalized album), or notify another party of the gift when the
recipient re-gifts the personalized album.

[0075] FIG. 13 illustrates another exemplary notification. Notification
1350 is a push notification that is received by electronic device 1300
and displayed on display 1340. A push notification is a communication
initiated by the cloud or other central server that is sent to a
recipient. Push notifications allow a recipient to receive updates or new
messages without having to initiate a request to the central server for
communications. Notification 1350 can be a text message that is received
on electronic device 1300, a pop-up notification received on electronic
device 1300, or other digital message received by electronic device 1300
that is not in response to a request. As shown here, notification 1350
includes title 1352, message 1354, and options 1356 and 1358. Title 1352
can be a title line associated with notification 1350, such as "You've
received a digital mixed tape!" Similarly message 1354 can be a message
describing the contents of notification 1350 or a personal message from
the giftor to the recipient. Message 1354 can be automatically generated
or manually generated. For example, the message can state "<Giftor>
has gifted you a digital mixed tape titled <title of personalized
album>. Would you like to accept the gift?" In some examples, message
1354 can include a redemption code to redeem the gift. In some examples,
title 1352 and/or message 1354 can be automatically generated by the
device operated by the giftor or the online store.

[0076] Options 1356 and 1358 can provide the recipient user-selectable
options to respond to the message. There can be more or fewer options
depending on the implementation. For example, the recipient can reject
the gift by selecting option 1356. By rejecting the gift, electronic
device 1300 can inform the online store that the operator of device 1300
has rejected the gift. This can result in a refund of the album fee
associated with the gift to the giftor. Alternatively, the user can
accept the gift by selecting option 1358. When the user accepts the gift,
a message can be sent from electronic device 1300 to inform the online
store that the recipient has accepted the gift. As a result, the online
store can adjust the ownership rights associated with the recipient's
user account accordingly to include the personalized album or the songs
of the personalized album. In some examples, selecting option 1358 can
link the user to another application configured to manage ownership
rights of the recipient. The recipient can review the digital media items
owned and decide whether to accept the gift. If the recipient is unsure
whether he or she would like to accept or reject the gift, notification
1350 can be saved within electronic device 1300 and a response to
notification 1350 can be transmitted to the online store at a later point
in time.

[0077] In other embodiments, a different notification can be received by
the giftor. The notification can be configured to notify the giftor when
a predefined event has occurred. For instance, a notification can be
received by the giftor (e.g., on an electronic device operated by the
giftor) when the recipient of the personalized album plays a song for the
first time. The notification can be transmitted from an online store,
from the recipient's device, or both. The notification can include a
message that informs the giftor that the recipient has listened to a
gifted song for the first time and the title of the personalized album
that the song belongs to. Thus, this notification can be a receipt of
sorts to inform the giftor that a gifted song has been successfully
received and played.

[0078] FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary process for providing a
personalized album to a recipient. Process 1400 can be implemented in
computer executable code to be executed on a processor. The processor can
be part of a server on an online store. Process 1400 begins by receiving
a request to generate a personalized album at 1410. In some examples, the
request can be received from a first user. The request can include a
plurality of media items or specify the plurality of media items that the
first user would like to include in the personalized album. The plurality
of media items can be selected from media items available in a media
library of the first user, media items available in a media library of
the online store, or other media items available to the first user. In
some examples, the request includes a link to a media item. This is the
preferred implementation when the selected media item is available on the
online store. In other examples, the request includes a copy of the media
item. This is the preferred implementation when the media item is
unavailable on the online store. A determination can be made as to which
selected media items are available on the online store by comparing the
media library of the first user against the media library of the online
store. The first user can discover media items available on the online
store by transmitting a request to the online store.

[0079] After receiving the request, a query is performed for a plurality
of media items at 1420. The query can be for media items that were
specified for inclusion in the personalized album but were not included
in the request. After querying for the media items, process 1400 includes
all the media items to be included in the playlist of the personalized
album. A determination can be made whether a playback sequence has been
included in the request at 1430. The playback sequence can be an order
that the songs are to be played back. If a playback sequence has been
requested, then the playback sequence can be set in the personalization
file at 1440. The personalization file can be configured to provide
instructions to create the personalization album by editing the metadata
of media items after the media items are transmitted to the gift
recipient. Another determination can be made whether playback options
have been included in the request at 1450. Playback options include
enforcing playback of the album to the playback sequence, revealing media
item attributes as the media items are played, and other options to
control or restrict playback of the media items as described herein. If
playback options are requested, then the playback attributes can be set
in the personalization file at 1460. After the personalization file and
media items have been collected, the plurality of media items and the
personalization file can be transmitted to the recipient at 1470. In some
examples, a notification is transmitted to the recipient and an
acceptance of the gift is received from the recipient before transmission
of the personalization file and the media items.

[0080] Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure may also
include tangible and/or non-transitory computer-readable storage media
for carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data
structures stored thereon. Such non-transitory computer-readable storage
media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general
purpose or special purpose computer, including the functional design of
any special purpose processor as discussed above. By way of example, and
not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media can include
RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk
storage or other magnetic storage devices, solid state drives, or any
other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code
means in the form of computer-executable instructions, data structures,
or processor chip design. When information is transferred or provided
over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired,
wireless, or combination thereof) to a computer, the computer properly
views the connection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such
connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of
the above should also be included within the scope of the
computer-readable media.

[0081] Computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions
and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain
function or group of functions. Computer-executable instructions also
include program modules that are executed by computers in stand-alone or
network environments. Generally, program modules include routines,
programs, components, data structures, objects, and the functions
inherent in the design of special-purpose processors, etc. that perform
particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program
modules represent examples of the program code means for executing steps
of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such
executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples
of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such
steps.

[0082] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other embodiments of
the disclosure may be practiced in network computing environments with
many types of computer system configurations, including personal
computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems,
microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs,
minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments may also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed
by local and remote processing devices that are linked (either by
hardwired links, wireless links, or by a combination thereof) through a
communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program
modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0083] The various embodiments described above are provided by way of
illustration only and should not be construed to limit the scope of the
disclosure. For example, the principles herein can be applied other types
of files to control the secure deletion of those files and other copies
of those files from storage. Those skilled in the art will readily
recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the
principles described herein without following the example embodiments and
applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from
the spirit and scope of the disclosure.